In small gardens, blackcurrants can be grown in containers. The same applies when you try to bring an ancient plant back into production. I know I shouldnât even confess to this laziness â but it worked quite well. Blackcurrants are prone to attack by birds, so cover the plants with taut netting as the fruits ripen. Remove the branches with the heavy crops (2 year olds), … So, armed with a clean pair of secateurs and a loppers or small saw, get out to the garden and take a good look at the tree before you dive in. Simply ask a neighbour who has a good bush if you could have his prunings. How to prune gooseberry bushes and currant bushes. This ensures that the bush has no branches that are older than three years. with Company Registration No 477525. However, you should in any case prune the bush before the new shoots begin to develop. They fruit best on younger wood, so when pruning aim to remove older wood, leaving the younger branches. The bushes should continue to yield fruit for at least 10 years and provide the lovely tangy blackcurrant smell throughout the year, even during the dormant period. Dig a hole at least twice the circumference of the pot in which the blackcurrant was purchased if not bare-root. Photo: Shutterstock. All the pruning that is required for blackcurrants is to remove about a quarter of all the branches from the base â I really mean the bottom of the plant as near to ground level as possible. No cane should be in place longer than 3 years. Prune Prune blackcurrants when dormant – from late autumn to late winter. Blackcurrant bushes are not difficult to grow and can produce 4.5-7 kg (10-15 lb) of fruit per year. Blackcurrants are among the easiest of fruit to grow, laden with gleaming blackberries to turn into mouthwatering goodies from cheesecakes and ice creams to home-made blackcurrant cordial. Blackcurrants prefer full sun, but will tolerate light shade. Prune blackcurrant bushes to encourage lots more fresh, young growth next year and bumper crops to match. Blackcurrants are among the easiest of fruit to grow, laden with gleaming blackberries to turn into mouthwatering goodies from cheesecakes and ice creams to home-made blackcurrant cordial. The fruit should therefore be picked individually. Bushes fruit on the young wood, mainly from one- or two-year-old stems, and it is important to bear this in mind when pruning. Blackcurrants are among the easiest of fruit to grow, laden with gleaming blackberries to turn into mouthwatering goodies from cheesecakes and ice creams to home-made blackcurrant cordial. Buds begin to open once the weather has warmed … After year four, cut out about one-third of the older wood at the base, using a pair of loppers or a pruning saw. 2.5 Litre. So one plant may be all you need. It doesn’t matter whether you prune blackcurrant just after the harvest or wait until winter. Re-pot container-grown blackcurrants every two or three years. Also remove weak shoots and low ones leaning towards the ground. In winter, shorten the sideshoots to one … Take them about 40cm long and stick the more than halfway into the soil about 4ft apart from each other. If planting between early summer and early autumn, wait until the plant is dormant before pruning all the stems. Blackcurrants are easy-to-grow bushes that produce bunches of dark purple to black fruits in mid-summer. During the bushes subsequent development you will need to prune out the dead wood, and regularly prune up to ¼ of the bush to keep it thoroughly healthy. The best time to prune roses is before spring growth has commenced and after the worst of the frost has passed. Pruning grape vines. Mix the soil from the hole with well-rotted organic manure and backfill the hole. Deep planting encourages young, vigorous shoots to develop from the base. Blackcurrants tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, but prefer well-drained, moisture-retentive conditions. Avoid hoeing near the base of the bush because the hoe might cut through new shoots developing at the base of the plant. They think that spring has arrived but in reality the harsh weather can still occur from late January to early March. Aim to create a well-branched, upright bush with fruiting spurs along the main stems. Trim back some of the roots and tease away the old soil replacing it with fresh John Innes No 3 Compost. Water blackcurrants during dry periods in the growing season. Space blackcurrant bushes 1.8m (6ft) apart. The best time for these hardwood cuttings is in November (I know it’s a bit late for pruning blackcurrants but many people delay it until then). removes dead wood; reduces height of bush; helps establish new canes; opens up bush to increase sunlight and air circulation in the canopy (poor air circulation promotes disease) – Ground spray for weed control – Planting of new cuttings Add controlled-release fertiliser like Seafeed seaweed and poultry manure pellets on poor soils for individual plants if compound fertiliser wasn’t added when preparing the soil. I love growing blackcurrants and I regularly fill any gaps in the hedge with blackcurrant cuttings. They have a tart flavour, are an invaluable source of vitamin C and can be used in pies and jams and to make cordials and cassis. After planting, prune the bush right back. Firm it in well before watering. 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